“The reality is, once you finishing counting the words [you speak], they just come and go. You can say one word more and you say one word less – it doesn’t really change anything.

“What really counts is what you do on the pitch. The reality is we have drawn many more games than we would liked, but we were much closer to winning them than losing them, and that in itself brings us closer to our objective.

“We are a team and when one lives as part of a team we are all implicated in achieving our objectives, because we are a team.

“We don’t depend on one player. We don’t have just one player who will win a game. The situation is very good, we are focused on the collective and we push for this as a consequence of being a team.”

Despite Atletico’s struggles, particularly in front of goal, Simeone is adamant that he is not about to start ringing the changes.

“For us we have almost never changed our way,” he said. “I said this to the players for the second half in Girona, for the game against Valencia, the game against Las Palmas, the games against Villareal, Sevilla, almost the whole match against Barcelona and the match against Roma.

“We will keep producing these kinds of good performances because that is what we’re doing.

“They played well in all of them. Against Las Palmas we played differently to against Roma. The team responded in the best possible way.

“We need to live with that kind of pressure. We are a united as a team and we will work as a team. And the best responses we can have individually have a consequence as a team, and that will improve our level. We will aim for that.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SoccerNews

Soccernews.com is news blog for soccer with comprehensive coverage of all the major leagues in Europe, as well as MLS in the United States. In addition we offer breaking news for transfers and transfer rumors, ticket sales, betting tips and offers, match previews, and in-depth editorials.

You can follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/soccernews.com or Twitter: @soccernewsfeed.

advertisement

Get all the latest football news, betting tips, and promotions for all the major leagues around the world. Read in depth articles on all major Premier League events and other from countries with comments and opinions from our experienced bloggers. Also, find fixtures, results, and live score service. Read More